Adam Rosales energizing A's teammates

Second baseman hustling at the plate and in the field

A's teammates are noticing Adam Rosales' energetic approach, including a home run sprint around the bases that he demonstrated during his four-RBI game on Sunday.

"He's someone who probably needs to take a nap," A's pitcher Dallas Braden told the Oakland Tribune. "He plays like he hasn't slept in four days. I relish players like that. He doesn't know any other speed. You get somebody to play with that kind of energy, it gets you going."

"It just does something to the other guys," manager Bob Geren said of Rosales' hustle. "And he's not trying to show the other team up. That's just his natural style of play. He runs on a walk."

Howard benefitting from offseason call to Bonds: Ryan Howard called Barry Bonds in January and asked the home run king to spend a few days in Florida helping him with his hitting and his mental approach.

"What he did for me was great," Howard told MLB.com. "That was huge. You don't get too many chances to really work with somebody that you grew up idolizing. He's one of the greatest players to ever play this game. For me, it was an honor to just sit there and listen and watch. He's so smart as far this game is concerned. The things that he knows, the things that he was telling me and teaching me, I hope to continue to learn. That's the thing about this game. You're always trying to make adjustments. You're always trying to learn. And who better to learn from than one of the best players in the game?"

Sabathia takes no-hitter into eighth inning: Manager Joe Girardi says he was prepared to remove CC Sabathia in the eighth inning based on his pitch count even if he hadn't given up his first hit to the previous batter.

"He didn't know that going out, but he knows that now," Girardi told the New York Post. "You have to think big picture. I told Dave [the pitch count] was 110 to 115. The big picture is the month of October. You have to think ahead."

Rios looking forward to returning to Toronto: Alex Rios returns to Toronto this week as a member of the White Sox.

"It's going to be exciting," Rios told MLB.com. "That's the place where I grew up as a player, as a Major League player."

Rios spent his first six seasons with the Blue Jays and thought he could spend his entire career there.

"You get traded or things like that happen," he said. "I thought I was going to stay there, but it's part of the game. I have a lot of good friends and good memories, too. We'll see what happens."

Keppinger using hot bat to stay in lineup: After starting two straight games at second base, Jeff Keppinger slid over to shortstop on Sunday.

"He's swinging the ball so well, we just need to get him in," Houston manager Brad Mills told the Houston Chronicle.

"When you're feeling good at the plate, you're feeling good at the plate, and he is," Mills said. "He's swinging the bat well, and we have to give him a chance to play this out as long as he can."

Greinke likes his chances when allowing two runs: Zack Greinke says that holding the opponent to one or two runs should keep his team in the game under most circumstances -- even if those runs come early in the game.

"It's still kind of early in the game where you're just pitching, and you try to go seven innings and keep it three [runs] or below, and things are going to work out more than they're not," Greinke told MLB.com. "Two runs, that's going to happen. You can't not give up any runs, so if you give up two runs, you should win the game."

Heyward's hits a key to success in Atlanta: In Atlanta's first three wins, Jason Heyward has an extra-base hit to either tie the game or give the Braves the lead.

"That was the approach [on Saturday], take what they gave me," Heyward told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Work on hitting the ball that way [to left], if that's where they're going to put it."

"He's a young kid, 20 years old, and you can't expect miracles every time," manager Bobby Cox said. "He's going to have his days when he looks like a normal guy, but he's going to have a lot of great days ahead of him."

Halladay chalks up complete game No. 50: Roy Halladay pitched a complete game in the Phillies' 2-1 victory over the Astros.

Now 2-0 with a 0.56 ERA, it was Halladay's 50th career complete game and his 150th career win. After avoiding some trouble in the sixth and seventh innings, all he wanted to do was finish the game.

"Yeah, absolutely," Halladay told MLB.com. "The closer you get the more fun it is, really. You'd like to have it a little easier than the sixth and seventh, but once you get out of that trouble and you know you're getting closer, that's when you want to be out there. It's fun to make pitches in those situations."

Cantu brings flair for the dramatic: The Marlins posted two come-from-behind wins this weekend, and Jorge Cantu played a big role in both of them.

On Saturday, he drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly, and Sunday he tied a career-high with five RBIs, as he hit a three-run homer and added a two-run double in the seventh inning.

No place like home for Span: Denard Span says he and his teammates are excited about opening their home season at Target Field.

"I think it's the first time that everybody is ready to get back home," Span told MLB.com. "I think everybody was looking forward in the past to go on the road because of the Metrodome. Now, everybody is looking forward to tomorrow and playing at Target Field. You know it's going to be a special day for the fans and for the city."

Pedroia on an early power surge: Dustin Pedroia, who got his third home run of the season and four hits as the Red Sox beat the Royals on Sunday, doesn't have a definitive answer for his hot start.

"Not really, no," he told the Boston Globe. "I've gotten three pitches on the inner part of the plate, and I've hit them. That's the main thing. I'm just trying to get my pitch and do damage with it."

Montero sidelined with knee injury: Catcher Miguel Montero was scheduled for a second MRI on Monday to determine the extent of an injury to his right knee, which he apparently aggravated while running to first base on Saturday.

Depending on what the second MRI finds, Montero could be out for only a couple of weeks or for several months.

Perry's first career save comes in front of parents: Ryan Perry pitched 1 1/3 innings for his first career save on Saturday, and his parents were among those in the crowd.

"He's much more prepared now," Tigers manager Jim Leyland told the Detroit Free Press. "He's a perfect example of learning how to get acclimated to the environment of a Major League season."

Chris Young misses start with shoulder tightness: Chris Young skipped his scheduled start on Sunday due to right shoulder tightness. Young looked good in his first start since Aug. 17 surgery last Tuesday and still may start this Tuesday or Wednesday for the Padres.

"We're going to give him the two extra days to bounce back," Padres manager Bud Black told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "The flexibility of our schedule allows us to do this and not try to push it."